Month: May 2019

Have you observed your long irons usually are not as consistent as they once were? You do not hit your three iron with the same crispness which you did just a short while ago? The answer to this dilemma has been around for several years now, but some golfers still are not wanting to give in to an undeniable trend and purchase rescue clubs. There are several reasons why rescue golf clubs will aid you, so let me address a few.

While rescue clubs are not new (these were first produced in the 1930s in Birmingham, England), they’ve come into importance only in the last few years. What are a few of the reasons why rescue golf clubs are a marked improvement over traditional irons?

1. Club head shape. Using a lower and deeper center of gravity will help you to hit the ball with a greater trajectory. You no longer will feel the need to lift the ball, therefore you’ll have more confident in striking the ball and allowing the club do the work. Also, they are easier clubs to hit out of rough, since the head will slide to the ball, as opposed to the hosel or leading edge of the traditional iron grabbing the grass.

2. Shorter shaft. Swinging a club with a shorter shaft is another reason why rescue clubs will help you, as it means standing closer to the ball at impact, therefore having a more compact, controlled swing. Distance is not sacrificed that much, as lofts with as low as 17 degrees are available, which is about the same as a five-wood. Also, since you will certainly be striking the ball far better, distance ultimately should be improved.

3. Club head size. The self-confidence when hitting a ball with a club with additional mass will inspire a far more confident, controlled swing.

So now that you realize why rescue clubs work, how do you rely on them to your best advantage? Personally, my thought process when I use them is to swing with a slow, smooth rhythm, and let the club do all the work. I have heard golfers say it is easier to shape the ball with them, but I have not found that to be the case. For me, I usually hit them straight as an arrow, and I suppose that is a primary reason why rescue clubs work for me. I remember once having a shot with a tall willow tree directly in my path, and not thinking I had a chance to clear it I tried to cut the shot around the tree. I did not shape the ball, but it proceeded to go directly toward the tree and with the higher trajectory easily cleared it. That one shot made me a believer. As my club head speed has diminished, my two thru five irons have been retired and been replaced by my new weapons.

Do your golf balls just roll along the ground and never get into the air? This is called topping the ball, and happens because your club contacts the ball above its equator. Ironically, many golfers make the problem worse by trying to “help” the ball into the air – trying to lift or scoop the golf ball off the turf. So, what is the correct way to stop topping the golf ball?

Unfortunately, there is no easy answer. Fundamentally, the problem is that your golf swing mechanics are incorrect in some way. Assuming that you are using the correct golf club, its design will ensure that ball will fly into the air when you swing the club correctly. The fastest way to stop topping golf balls is to consult a golf pro or golf swing coach. He will be able to see where your worst mistakes are and suggest the best drills to improve your golf swing. Once you learn to perform those drills correctly, this embarrassing problem of dribbling your golf ball on the ground will be fixed.

Of course, not everyone has access to a competent golf pro. Before you start surfing the web for a solution, let me give you a warning. Some websites use the terms topping the golf ball, skulling, and hitting the ball thin interchangeably. Not to mention that the golf swing tips contradict each other. Let me suggest a more old fashioned alternative. Go hit your local library for some golf swing instruction books. Look for the books which teach golf swing techniques or show the correct golf swing mechanics. Browse them and borrow the books which you can understand. Read them carefully and take notes. Then go hit a few dozen golf balls and capture it all on video. Analyze what you see, and compare it against your notes. You should see some major deviations from the norm. Once you correct these mistakes, you should have improved your golf swing and stopped topping your golf balls.

Pursuing shortcuts tends to be a hit or miss affair. I must admit that sometimes you just do not have time to do it right. In such cases, you just have to cross your fingers, make a quick prayer and hope for the best. So, here are two quick golf swing tips to stop topping golf balls:

Aim one inch in front of the ball.
Stand with the ball further back in your stance. Swing your club as usual, and you will hit the ball lower.

Some golfers find that they only top the ball with their drivers and low-numbered irons. This shows that they have difficulty controlling the added power when they swing these clubs. Here are three golf swing tips to help you:

Practice half-swings until you consistently hit the ball without topping, then graduate to practicing full-swings
Practice swinging the golf club in slow motion to ingrain the correct movement into your muscle memory. Once you are satisfied that you fully understand the correct golf swing mechanics, gradually increase the speed you swing the club.
Practice your golf swing with old-style blade irons. These old-fashioned clubs have tiny sweet spots. They give you excellent feedback when you do not hit the ball right – the club vibrates strongly and stings your hands. Once you can contact the ball with the sweet spot consistently, you will stop topping the golf ball.

Topping the golf ball once is embarrassing. Topping the golf ball swing after swing is humiliating. The fastest way to stop topping golf balls and improve your golf swing is to ask a golf swing coach to look at your swing. The next best way is to study and understand the correct golf swing mechanics.

In theory putting is the easiest part of golf:

1. You don’t have to get the ball in the air
2. You don’t have to hit the ball very far
3. There are far less moving parts in your putting stroke – what can possibly go wrong?
4. Your weight distribution never changes – putting is very static

Unfortunately the vast majority of amateur golfers spend far too much time working on their long game and don’t take the time to work on their putting. It is also an unfortunate fact that very few amateur golfers actually understand the concepts of good putting.

The good news is that putting is the easiest area of golf that you can improve, and compared to other parts of the game more quickly as well. And here’s why…

– With the right coaching drills you can find and correct your own faults very easily
– It is easier to practice at home with some carpet or an indoor putting green
– It is easier and faster to make changes to your putting stroke than your main swing

To become a great putter you need to understand that most elements of the putting stroke are different to the main golf swing. Here are just a few examples of what is different.

1. The grip is different. Not only is your grip alignment different but where the club sits in your hands is also different. Your putter needs to sit across the palm of your hands and not in your fingers. In addition to this there are many different grips including left hand below right!

2. The putting stance is very different to your ‘full’ swing. The aim is to get your head parallel to the gouger looking straight down at the ball.

3. The ball position never changes in putting – this is one reason it is easy to work on this yourself. Here is a great putting tip to check your ball position – get into your putting stance and hold a golf ball over your left eye (for a right-handed golfer). Now drop the ball. Where it lands is where your ball should be when you are putting.

4. During your putting stroke there should be absolutely no body movement at all. This includes your head. This sounds easy but is surprisingly hard to achieve. Many amateurs think they are not moving but they are. Here is another great putting tip – work on some really short putts and hit them with your eyes shut. Never open them. This will help you feel if your body is moving at all but more importantly it will ensure you don’t move your head. Listen for the ball dropping into the hole instead of looking, and continue to do this on the golf course as well even when your eyes are open.

5. Golf psychology plays a huge part in putting. You must have felt the pressure of holing a short putt to win a hole or even an important match. You need to be able to control your emotional state when putting – especially when under pressure. This is also true with your full swing, but the pressure when you are putting is even higher since the margins for error are so small.

This is just the tip of the iceberg – there are many more differences between putting and the full swing.

I hope you can see by now just how different they are and that putting is a game within a game (golf!) and that there is a lot to learn about putting.
Anyone who is a good putter will be a formidable opponent on the golf course.

There are a number of ways to improve your golf swing. Golf is an unforgiving sport. Most of the time, the golfer is being played by the game rather than the other way around. However, it is not impossible to become consistently excellent in the game. Just ask Tiger Woods or Arnold Palmer. There are a few tips that the average golfer can utilize to get ahead of the game.

The first tip is to pay attention to your left or lead knee. The problem is that a number of golfers relax the left knee as they swing, collapsing it towards their other leg. This interferes with their form in a number of ways, including forcing them to over-swing and drop their shoulder. Making sure that your knees are tense and stable can help you to improve your golf swing. Those having trouble visualizing it can imagine holding a basketball between their knees as they swing. This will make it easier.

The way the hand is positioned will also affect the quality of the swing. Golfers should place their right hand on the golf club while visualizing making a V with their thumb and index finger while gripping it. This “V” should point between their right shoulder and right ear. Properly holding the golf club will help form and improve the strength and quality of the swing.

Rhythm is crucial in a number of sports. There is a rhythm to a golf stroke, one that can be established simply by taking a quick pause at the peak of the backswing. This easy trick can help establish the swing. This will make sure that the golf ball lands in the middle of the course or will land where the golfer needs it to be.

Keeping your right knee strong is a terrific way to improve your golf swing. While performing the backswing, efficient golfers will keep their right, or rear knee, rock solid with a very slight bend. Failure to do so will weaken the swing. This will keep the golf ball from traveling far and it can also cost the golfer control over the direction of the ball.

Most sports are all about core strength. Golf is one of those sports. The power of the swing does not come largely from the shoulders, but from the legs and the abdomen. Golfers that turn their entire body into the swing bring the weight of their entire body into the stroke. This will dramatically increase the power of the swing and can keep their handicap low and impressive.